Review by Booklist Review
Ages 5-9. "Written and directed by Dav Pilkey" and starring the author's own pets (a dog, a cat, and an assortment of mice), these two charmers, larded with puns and pop-culture references, combine boldly painted backgrounds and photographs to give the slavering monsters of movie classics fresh, funny faces. Pilkey's cat Blueberry assumes the monster role in Kat Kong, the less successful of the two books, both in terms of story and artwork. Jokes are plentiful and the story is recognizable as it follows the terrible, terrorizing villain from the jungles of a strange "uncharted island" to the top of Mousopolis' Romano Inn. Unfortunately, the lack of variety in the superimposed shots of the beast (and one fuzzy, magnified head shot is especially hard to discern) deflates the tale. "Dreadful Dogzilla," with "doggy breath" enough to send the Mousopolis population scattering, seems a much more photogenic and expressive fiend, and Pilkey dresses up his mouse-filled escapades with an ending that cannot fail to get a laugh. The jokes will make more sense if readers are familiar with the originals, but the pictures are still plenty goofy and the puns outrageous enough to attract uninitiated kids--along with a sizable audience of adults. ~--Stephanie Zvirin
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
From the creator of Captain Underpants comes the hilarious Dogzilla and Kat Kong by Dav Pilkey, first published in 1993 and featuring a wacky mix of animal photos, art and a deadpan Sam Spade-style narrative. The first title begins, "It was summertime in the city of Mousopolis," as the dreadful Dogzilla terrorizes the mice with her horrible dog breath. In the second, Doctor Varmint and Rosie Rodent capture the mighty Kat Kong and bring him to Mousopolis, where he breaks free and tears through the streets. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 1-3-The furry residents of Mousopolis are twice terrorized by overgrown house pets in these daffy picturebooks ``Written and directed'' by the author of When Cats Dream (Orchard, 1992). Dogzilla rises from a volcano to break up the First Annual Mousopolis Barbecue Cook-Off, and scatter the Big Cheese's troops with her fearsome doggy breath-but the threat of a bath sends her scurrying back to her mountain. On the other hand, or paw, Dr. Vincent Varmint and his lovely assistant Rosie Rodent capture giant Kat Kong on an uncharted island and return to civilization, only to have the ferocious feline escape, create chaos in the streets, climb the tall Romano Inn, and take that long fall. Illustrations are painted in bright acrylics around cleverly trimmed and placed photographs of Pilkey's pet mice, cat, and corgi, for a wonderfully silly look, appropriately accompanied by a pun-laden text. Less elaborate, but much funnier and more creative than William Wegman's Cinderella (Hyperion, 1993).-John Peters, New York Public Library (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
Kat Kong is captured by mice and brought to Mousopolis, where he escapes with a beautiful mouse hostage; the dreadful Dogzilla, attracted to the city by the smell of food, is repelled by the mouse army. Photographic collages of real mice, an overweight house cat, and a sweet-looking corgi are retouched with acrylic paint. The howlingly funny spoofs of monster movies feature plenty of puns and sly details for children and adults. From HORN BOOK 1993, (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
The irrepressible Pilkey strikes again with a spoof of the famous film, enacted by a real cat and some mice (``Flash as Professor Vincent Varmint, Rabies as Rosie Rodent,'' etc.) in color photo images imposed on background paintings. Puns and parody abound--the voyaging mice find natives ``offering up a sacrificial can of tuna'' while chanting, `` `Heeeer, Ki-tee Ki- tee!' ''; they trap the cat in a bag (being careful not to let him out), and attempt to display him back home, but he escapes, captures Rosie, climbs tall ``Romano Inn,'' and falls: ``Curiosity killed the cat!'' Artfully designed, colorful, and funny--especially for those who know King Kong. In the same vein: Dogzilla, starring the same intrepid mice and a pleasant-looking corgi (ISBN: 0-15-223944-8; paper: 0-15-223945-6). (Picture book. 4-10)
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